A recent interactive session was carried out by Jonathan Sudharta, the Director of National Team for some players on how lessons learned on the ice directly translate to creating real business value and mastering the Indonesian market. This unique interactive session titled "Hockey & Entrepreneurship" on 13th of July brought players together to explore what playing on the ice rink can teach about building a business. Structured as a collaborative dialogue where attendees were encouraged to "think first" and "guess out loud," the event stripped away corporate jargon to define entrepreneurship simply: creating value by solving a real problem.
A major focal point of the presentation was navigating the unique landscape of the Indonesian market. The speaker highlighted that Indonesia relies heavily on relationships and middlemen, meaning that knowing who can often be more valuable than knowing how. In this context, the sport of hockey was presented as more than just a game; it is a "good, safe place" to build a lifelong network of trusted teammates, coaches, and parents who all wear the same badge.
The session also guided future founders through the critical early decisions of securing capital and expertise. Players learned the harsh realities of funding: choosing between debt (taking a loan and paying interest to keep ownership) and equity (giving up permanent shares for capital), both of which are entirely dependent on earning trust. When it comes to lacking specific skills, the advice was straightforward: entrepreneurs must either "be the know-how" by learning it themselves or "buy the know-how" by hiring the right talent. The concepts were grounded in real-world market sizing exercises, utilizing case studies like the healthcare app Halodoc and the potential of opening a local ice rink targeting school children in BSD.
The event concluded with a sobering reality check about the ultimate costs of the entrepreneurial path. While it offers the highest potential rewards and control over one's success, founders must trade their time—described as the single scarcest commodity that cannot be bought back. Finally, players were warned against academic arrogance; the speaker emphasized that a university degree is merely a toolkit, not the answer, and that remaining humble is essential to continuous learning.